Blues Coach Ken Hitchcock said he would "flip a coin in the next couple of days" to determine whether rookie Jake Allen or
Goaltending has been a source of mystery, debate and wonderment in the
When injuries forced the
At the opposite end of the ice will be
Price didn't provide insight into his thinking Monday, "offering replies that would have embarrassed even vanilla," according to the Montreal Gazette. Asked about the Senators, who eliminated the Canadiens in the first round in 2013, he complimented their speed and tenacity but stayed with cliches.
"I'm not worried about how anybody else is playing," he said. "I'm just worried about what I have to do."
Injuries and illnesses had left the
Dubnyk started 38 straight games and was 27-9-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage. That allowed the Wild to surge, earn the first West wild-card berth, and give Dubnyk his first taste of playoff hockey.
"You start five years and don't get there, you just want to be part of it really bad," he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "You see how hard you have to work, and it feels good to get here. You realize how good of a group we have and a real opportunity to do something good."
The Wild will play the Blues, who face an interesting situation. Allen has never played an NHL playoff game; Elliott was shunted aside last spring after the Blues acquired
"You've got one guy that's got a heck of a season in Elliott and another guy that's had a heck of a month in Allen. We've got no problems," Hitchcock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Whatever guy we go to, it might depend on the opponent…. We'll base it on what we think is best. But if we've got to change, we'll change. We won't hesitate."
Winnipeg goalie
Pittsburgh's
Reputations are made in the playoffs, especially for goaltenders. The next postseason star might be starting Wednesday or Thursday, or he could be sitting on the bench, a postseason version of Dubnyk or Hammond.
Twitter: @helenenothelen